News

Teacher’s tale is published in new anthology

A FORMER English teacher has had a short story published in a collection of fairy tales.

Joel Kaye, once an English and media studies teacher at West Oxfordshire College, is one of 18 authors contributing to the Thrice Upon A Time.

His story, Strange Eyes, is about a long-lost brother who steps in at his sister’s wedding to try to stop the marriage.

The 67-year-old, of Purcell Road, Marston, said: “I’m very pleased because for me writing is a pleasure. But it’s also good to be recognised by someone else who says it’s good enough.

“This is a really varied collection, with reality flowing into fantasy and back again.”

The story was chosen for inclusion in the book after Mr Faye submitted his story to publishers Alfie Dog for consideration.

He said: “At the time I did not think of it as a fantasy story, I just thought it was a tale, and they said it was interesting enough to include.”

Mr Kaye taught at what is now Abingdon and Witney College from the 1970s until 1999, and then at Henley College from 2001 to 2006.

He has also written short stories and plays for radio programmes, including BBC Radio Oxford and BBC Radio Four.

The married father-of-one said he jotted story ideas in a reporter’s notebook. He said: “Any writer has to work to improve. I will start off with something and have a sense of how characters will develop.”

Alfie Dog published Thrice Upon A Time in paperback, priced £6.99, earlier this month. It will be available to download, priced £1.99, from August 21.